HP: god of potions

Chapter 98

Gray looked at the group with a faint smile. "Alright, I'll let you guys see the battle," he said, shocking everyone into silence. Fred was the first to break it, exclaiming, "Wicked!" as the others exchanged uncertain glances. Gray retrieved his wand, and though Raven's displeasure was evident, she said nothing as she remained in pangea. Luna's eyes lit up as she studied the wand. "Wow, it's beautiful," she murmured. Ron, unable to contain his curiosity, added, "You change wands pretty often, don't you?" Gray ignored the comment as he focused, isolating the memory of his battle with Voldemort. He ensured that no part involving the Order of Merlin would be visible, leaving only his taunts and combat.

The group watched in awe as Voldemort appeared, his serpentine features as chilling as the stories had described. Hermione gasped, "That's him." Harry's knuckles turned white as he muttered, "Voldemort." Gray's taunts filled the air, calm and cutting. "Is this all you brought,? I expected a real challenge." Ginny whispered, "He's fearless." The girls' reactions to Gray's imposing presence were equally palpable. Lavender and Parvati sighed audibly, their eyes trailing his muscular frame. "Look at him," Lavender muttered. "He's… well, he's…" Parvati nodded. "It's almost unfair," she added. Fred smirked but said nothing, while Ron rolled his eyes. Voldemort's response was swift; he and his followers unleashed a volley of Killing Curses. Gray retaliated with a continuous beam of magic, shielding himself. The group gasped in unison. "Bloody hell," Ron whispered.

When the attacks subsided, Gray pulled out a potion and drank it, his magic flaring to life. Harry's curiosity got the better of him. "What was that?" he asked. Gray replied nonchalantly, "An arcane potion I developed. It boosts my magic for a short time, but its not released to the public so dont mention it." he said to the group who nodded. Voldemort summoned Fiendfyre, while his followers hurled curses like Crucio, Reducto, and Sectumsempra. Gray countered with effortless precision, dissipating the slashes, overpowering the illusions, and halting explosions midair. Dean shook his head in disbelief. "He's… unreal," he said. Luna tilted her head. "It's as though he's not even trying," she mused. The trio exchanged uneasy glances as realization dawned: Gray's power was leagues beyond anything they'd witnessed at their first lesson "He's stronger than anyone in seventh year," Hermione said quietly. "Maybe even some professors." Harry nodded, still processing.

The memory shifted, showing Gray using the Imperius Curse wandlessly on Wormtail. He made the rat-like man attack his master, forcing Voldemort's hand. The green light of Avada Kedavra struck Wormtail, ending his life. Hermione's sharp intake of breath broke the silence. "He used the Imperius Curse?" she whispered. Neville frowned. "It's one of the Unforgivables," he said. Gray's voice brought reassurance. "Like I said, I have some experience with dark magic, so dont worry, teaching you guys will be a breese" Reluctantly, they nodded, their skepticism quelled by his calm demeanor. The memory continued, showing Voldemort's increasingly desperate spells: Bombarda Maxima, Incendio Inferno, and Diffindo. Each was dissolved by Gray with ease. Seamus let out a low whistle. "How does he do that?" he asked. Ginny's voice was barely audible. "It's terrifying."

When the battle ended, the group watched in stunned silence as Gray delivered the killing blow to Voldemort. The memory faded, leaving them in shock. Fred broke the silence with a sheepish grin. "If I've ever done anything to piss you off, I'm sorry," he said. Gray chuckled. "Relax," he said. "I've never had any intention of harming students or professors. Even Malfoy's safe, though he annoys me to no end." The group laughed nervously, reassured by his words. Ron looked at Gray thoughtfully. "Are you as powerful as Dumbledore?" he asked. Gray shrugged. "Who knows?" he replied. 

"So, if you are this powerful, why attend Hogwarts?" asked Angelina. Gray responded, "Because Hogwarts is like a vacation to me." He smiled peacefully, but Hermione interrupted, "Admit it, you're only here to report couples." Everyone turned to look at him, and he froze. "You're the famous Single Supreme?" Fred asked in shock, as George bowed dramatically. "Truly, you are the mighty single," George declared, making Gray chuckle before saying, "Why must we feel single while they display their affection publicly?" His disgusted tone made Ron look at him curiously. "Aren't you single by choice?" Ron asked, causing Gray to cough awkwardly. Neville chimed in, "Yeah, not a single girl at Hogwarts would reject you," making Gray sigh.

"Well, the girl I like hasn't shown any interest, so I'm not single by choice," Gray said casually. His words had more impact than he expected, as the group stared at him in shock. "Gray, you have feelings for someone?" Hermione asked in disbelief, the group holding their breath. "What? Of course, I have feelings too, you know. It's not bizarre for me to be interested in a girl," Gray said defensively. The group exchanged glances before Harry asked, "You, of all people, have feelings? For a girl?" Gray sighed, exasperated. "Yes, I, Gray Knight, have feelings for a girl, and I'm not sure if she feels the same," he admitted. Susan Bones spoke up hesitantly, "Is it someone we know?" Ginny added, "Is she at Hogwarts?" Gray chuckled with a genuine smile, causing hearts to flutter, and replied, "No, and no." Ginny squealed, "Oh my God, he's really in love!" as the boys stared at Gray like he was possessed.

"I'd like to see what someone who captivated you looks like," Fred teased. Gray frowned. "Yeah, not in a million years, buddy," he retorted. Some of the girls whispered, "He's clingy too." The group sat in a circle, determination in the air. Hermione returned to the main topic, asking, "So, all in favor of taking lessons from Gray?" She raised her hand, and one by one, the others followed: Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Neville, Luna, Dean, Lee, Katie, Alicia, Angelina, and Susan. "Where are we going to meet?" Hermione asked. Neville suggested, "What about an unused classroom?" Gray agreed, adding, "Yeah, there are a lot of unused Hogwarts rooms. I once spent time learning alchemy there and laughing," he said, chuckling as Katie exclaimed, "You're the famous evil ghost in the darkest depths of Hogwarts!"

"Evil ghost? All I did was laugh. Why would people think I'm an evil ghost, and why am I famous for it?" Gray asked, confused. George explained, "Your laugh is terrifying." Fred added, "We used the 'evil ghost' to scare a lot of students." One of the girls mumbled, "If I'd known the ghost was you, I'd have gone to find it long ago," prompting others to agree. Hermione, steering the conversation back on track, said, "That might work. I'll look into that." She smiled, and the group followed suit. "Okay, good. I think we should put our names down, so we know who was here," Hermione continued. Some hesitated until Ernie spoke up nervously, "I don't know… if it were found… Umbridge wouldn't like what we're doing." Hermione reassured him, "Honestly, Ernie, do you think I'd just leave it lying around? Besides, it's enchanted." Reassured, Ernie nodded.